The Flywheel

Next Meeting: July 29th

World War II in the Phillipines

Harry Robinson, on the right in this photograph, was a P.O.W.
in the Philippines during World War II.

Mr. Robinson will present images and stories
to share with us. We hope you can attend.

Meeting of Friday, July 22nd

Welcome, Invocation, Thought for the Day

Past and continuing substitute President Alan
Baer filled in for EJ Shalaby who had to travel
to Oregon. X-Prez Alan asked Herb Cole to
lead us in the Pledge. Or maybe Herb lead
us in a prayer for Freedom, Peace and Justice in the
world. Henry Kelman’s observation
of the week gone by was that, “The Tea Party
will not be happy until We (The Treasury and People
of the United States of America) are in default (on
the National Debt).

Visiting Rotarians

Honorary Member Bob Niccolls introduced
his wife Lavonne.

Rotarians with Guests

Markku Pelanne introduced his guest Brad
Parsons.

Rafael Madrigal introduced his guest
for the last time Michelle Itagaki, as
Michelle appears headed to become our newest Rotarian.

Sunshine Report

No Report today. But we understand ‘Mr. Sunshine’ Bill
Koziol is trying to get the detail
work done on his newly renovated home in Crockett.

Announcements

A sign-up list is circulating for the Tailgate party
and A’s game August 20th which ends with fireworks.
The exact time for the tailgate party has been set,
for 3:30 PM. All members are recommended to sign-up,
get in the $25 cost and be ready to bring a grill
as well as anything you want to eat grilled. See Alan
Baer or Rafael Madrigal for
more accurate details.

‘DAB’ David A. Brown Esq. reminded
members that their annual dues are now due and payable
at $200 and asked that members not delay as the clubs
dues to the District and RI are due at the end of
the month. David also reminded the members that if
you mail your contribution, the club has
a newPO Box 70643, Richmond,
California 94807-0643. DAB noted he has
received at least one successful payment via the
ne PO Box from John Troughton which
included a picture of a trout. A trout from Troughton
(trout-man, get it?)?

Joan Davis, our new Foundation
Director encouraged members, as long as they had
their checkbook out, to also make a contribution
to Rotary International and the Paul Harris Society.
Doing a good imitation of Erle Brown, Joan reminded
the club that Richmond Rotary has >100% Paul Harris
participation and it is a position of honor all should
want to keep.

Recognitions

Jim ‘The Beav’ Beaver lead
the Recogntions, starting with:

X-Prez Alan Baer who has just, as of
today, was celebrated, or is still celebrating, 20 years
of wedded bliss with his wife Santa. Alan said more on
the celebration at the next meeting. Alan had $$ for
the Werner Fund.

The Beav then asked Josh Genser if
it is true he has just celebrated 30 years with Elaina?
Josh said, “Of Course it’s true.” The
Gesner’s celebrated with a visit to their hideout
and trout fishing camp in Tehama County. Josh's 10 year-old
nephew went too and caught a lot of fish. Josh observed
that catching fish with an n excited youngster is 10
times as much fun as just fishing. What a great time!
Josh also had $$ for the Foundation.

“Henry Kelman, we are going to
hear more from you later, but how old were you on your
birthday July 13th?”, says The Beav. “61”,
replies Hank. “And what kind of celebration did
you have?”, says Beav. “I woke up and that
makes for a good day”, says Hank. Happy belated
Birthday, Henry!

Our new Red Badge Rookie Doris Mitchell was
then asked how old she was on her recent birthday by
the Beav who received several sneers for asking a lady
her age in public. Doris said, “31”, otherwise
conforming to Rotary Truthfulness while creating wistful
pangs of envy in our otherwise over-31 club.

Liliane Koziol, wanting to help the
members celebrate and support the club donated two tickets
to the Vivaldi Concert, Four Seasons at the SF Symphony
which were auctioned off to Jim Young.

Happy and Sad Dollars

The Beav continued with Happy and Sad Dollars and started
it off himself with Happy $$ to see Bob and Lavonne Niccolls
at the meeting.

Heather Kulp had Happy $$ because
she was at the meeting and not flying across the
country for the first weekend out of the last month,
weddings and celebrations from coast to coast now
completed.

Josh Genser had Happy $$ because
Call was nominated for having the third best intercollegiate
athletic program and Stanford was nominated ‘First’.

Michael Gill had Sad $$ because
Transept Pharmaceuticals proposed new sleep drug
got ‘two thumbs down’ from the FDA causing
the company to layoff half its staff, including him. We
are very sorry to hear that Michael but know you
will land on your feet. Worse, Michael said
his Rotary badge is missing and wonders where it
might be. A little help here is appropriate Rotarians.

Doris Mitchell had Happy $$ because
her little one sang Happy Birthday to her a cappella and solo as she left for work on her birthday.

Norm's Nonsense

The secretary was leaving the office when she saw the
CEO standing by a shredder with a piece of paper in his
hand. "Listen," said the CEO, "this is
a very important document. Can you make this thing work?" The
secretary turned the machine on, inserted the paper and
pressed the start button.

"Great," said the CEO as his paper disappeared
inside the machine, "I just need one copy."

PROGRAM

Old-timer's "Who Am I's"

Jim Young launched the Program portion of the meeting with
announcements of the great programs in the weeks ahead. (See
Upcoming Programs, above.)

Today’s program is a Richmond Rotary Tradition, the
Old Timer's “Who Am I?”, Rotarians who gave their
original "Who Am I’s?” decades ago. To get
all the good stuff you’ve had to have been
there, so our retelling of their stories is an abbreviation
that may protect the innocent and promote the general good.

Bob Niccolls

Bob and his wife Lavonne travelled 640
miles from their current home in Eagle ID to participate in
today’s meeting. Bob started of by telling the club how
good it was to be back at Richmond Rotary. He said he could
have joined the club in Eagle or one of the other clubs in
the general area of Boise but preferred to keep up with Richmond
because, “It’s the best”. Bob said his local
clubs are “…fine, but the chemistry just isn’t
right”. He paid Nick Despota (publisher of The Flywheel)
a big compliment saying with the on-line Flywheel it is easy
to keep up with the club, it’s many activities and accomplishments.
Bob and Lavonne’s confidence in Rotary make it a primary
conduit for the Niccolls family giving like the RI Haiti post
earthquake relief effort.. Here are a few facts about Bob and
Lavonne Niccolls”

Bob and Lavonne moved to Richmond in 1964, raised their
kids in the public schools and they graduated from Kennedy
HS, the CSU and married local girls.

In 1971 Bob became a self employed financial advisor specializing
in employee benefits, retirement and succession planning
for small business. Bob’s been retired six years
and feels good about it because he took his own advice
and it worked.

In 1972 they bought the house on Barrett and Carlston
across the street from Josh Genser but the Gesner’s
didn’t live their yet. Their current home in Eagle
is bigger, but has plenty of room for wild life and the
mountain vistas that surround it.

The Niccolls were very active in local community life
with Lavonne serving as the first woman on the West County
Y’s Board of Directors and later as the first woman
Councilmember in 40 years. Lavonne was on the Council in
an era when the city was making major improvements including
Marina Bay, Brickyard Cove, Sears at Hilltop

In 1991 Don Lau nominated Bob to Rotary. Bob was active
n the club Besides ‘perfect attendance’ for
meetings, service and socializing, Bob re[resented the
Club at the RI International Convention in Calgary Canada.
Bob and Lavonne are both proud of their community service,
participation in government and operating a successful
small business in Richmond.. Indeed!

Henry Kelman

Hank is a man of few words and well ordered
priorities. He knows what’s important, “…waking
up in the morning. That’s a good day.” Henry moved
his cabinet business from San Rafael to Richmond in 1975 and
built his first building in 1977. Milt Lacteman invited him
to come to Rotary where he met a lot of Richmond businessmen
and since he liked the environment he joined. This proved very
useful in 1977 when he was building a new building and ran
out of money and did not have an easement or access to the
building. Rotarian Jack McDonald, then President of the Chamber
of Commerce went to bat for him at the city hall and got him
a conditional use permit for the property. At the time he joined,
Henry was the youngest Rotarian at 32.

Over the years he has
built several buildings in Richmond for his company Benchmark
Fixture Corporation. The advice from the older members in
the club has served him well. When he came to Richmond he ran
a residential custom cabinet shop. Benchmark is now a manufacturer
of commercial fixtures and cabinets for retail and office buildings
and was the principal cabinet supplier for the renovation of
Oakland City Hall after the 1989 earthquake.

John Wilson

John’s is a story of multiple Rotaries
although he came to Richmond in 1969 as an employee of Randoph
Sign and Signal Co. John says he belonged to Rotary for 12
years but then switched his membership to the Rodeo club and
ended up being their Jack of all trades, President to busboy.
He has been to a ‘bunch’ of PETS (President Effectiveness
Trainings) and several Rotary Conferences.

One of his big accomplishments
was the night the Rodeo Rotary had a dinner meeting at the
local Chinese Restaurant. For whatever reason the restaurant
seated the club in the main dining room so the club just went
on with its regular meeting. By the time the meeting was over,
John had talked 30 non-Rotarian patrons into joining Rotary.
John’s an engineer by training and he has used that skill
remodeling his home in Lafayette and maintaining his classic
car collection. John is always on the lookout for candidate
classic cars from the ‘40s and ‘50s. Apparently
he still has room in his six car garage. With some kibitzing
from the audience, John admitted it has taken five years to
remodel his house and he did have a fight with the city about
striping his driveway like a commercial parking lot for all
the cars he has, but whose counting years or city approved
parking spaces?

John said he maintains long relationships having
been married in 1958 and still owning his first car, a 1932
Chevy peddle car he got when he was a little kid. Go John!.

- Rotating Editor, Josh Surowitz

Upcoming Programs

August 5
Harlan Kerr, Director of Curriculum for WCCUSD, reports
on the effects of the Peace Rug program in kindergarten
and first grade classrooms, funded by Richmond Rotary
last year.

August 12
Chevron reps update the club on the ‘Chevron
Renewal Project’. Six months after our tour,
find out what the refinery is doing to restart this
major capital investment and environmental improvement
project.

August 19
Josh Surowitz , an immigration
law attorney, discusses the Dream Act—what it
is, what it is not, and its expected costs and benefits.

Have a suggestion for a speaker?
Please pass along the name and contact information
to Jim Young.